San Diego Dog Bite Attorney

Know Your Rights to Compensation

There are approximately 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States. Unfortunately, dog bites are a common injury that can result in serious or life-threatening injuries. Dogs are often considered man’s best friend, but not all pet owners are responsible dog owners and not all dogs are warm and welcoming to outsiders. When a dog is not properly trained or socialized, it can become protective and aggressive.

Being attacked by a dog can be an extremely traumatic experience and often leads to injuries and scarring that can last a lifetime. In California, dog owners are strictly liable for their dogs’ actions. At Leigh Law Firm, our highly skilled dog bite lawyer in San Diego can help you fight for the compensation you are owed after being attacked by an animal.

What to Do After a Dog Bite

It is very common after a dog bite incident for the owner to deny liability. Many people consider their dogs to be a member of the family, and most owners do not believe that their dogs can be aggressive or vicious. It will be up to you and your attorney to take action in court and make sure the dog owner takes responsibility for what happened.

If you have been bitten by a dog, it is important to:

• Seek prompt medical attention
• Get the dog owner’s information
• Get any witnesses’ information
• Take photos of injuries

Be sure to seek out medical attention before anything else after being attacked by a dog. An infection from a dog bite can be serious, and the longer it is left untreated, the more dangerous it becomes.

If you were attacked in an unfamiliar place and you don’t know who the dog belongs to, keep that location in mind so that you can visit it again with your attorney and track down the dog owner.

When is a Dog Owner Liable for A Dog Bite?

According to the California Civil Code section 3342, dog owners are able to be held responsible for the dog bite if the following occur:

• The injury was caused by their dog's bite
• The victim was legally on private or public property

Because California has a 'strict liability' law, owners can be held responsible despite an unawareness of their animal being violent or aggressive.

We Can Handle the Hard Work

The thought of tracking down the dog owner and starting up a lawsuit may sound exhausting when you’re already trying to recover from the bite. Thankfully, this is not something you need to handle by yourself. When you hire our San Diego dog bite attorney, we will employ every resource at our disposal to investigate your case and deal with the insurance company.

You will want to make sure you receive ample compensation to help with your recovery, and the dog owner needs to be aware of what happened so they can take proper precautions to prevent this from happening to anyone else.